AZ puts two cancer trials on hold after lung disease reports

AstraZeneca is temporarily pausing two clinical trials assessing a combination of two drugs in lung cancer, after the development of lung disease in some patients.

The Phase I Tatton and Phase III Caural studies are looking at the safety and efficacy of combining investigational drugs AZD9291 and durvalumab as a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

Details remain a little thin, but a spokesperson for AZ reportedly told the media that the trials are on hold following an increase in incidents of interstitial lung disease, which causes inflammation or scar tissue build up in the lungs.

Patients are to be given new consent forms to determine whether they wish to continue taking part in the studies.

AZD9291 is a once daily, selective, irreversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor and durvalumab is anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Both are expected to bring in multi-billion-dollar sales if they make it to market.